


Don't Trust a Prophet Owl

by ali2cann



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, James makes a mess of it, Snape Hating, Sorry there aren't more marauders, as always
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29542590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ali2cann/pseuds/ali2cann
Summary: Just a little angsty fluff. I'm working on Chasing Lilies and can't fit this story line into the plot but I didn't want to let it die, so I thought I'd write it as a standalone.At the end of 6th year, James and Lily are finally friends. He confesses his love to her and chaos ensues. Miscommunications abound.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Don't Trust a Prophet Owl

**Lily**

It was the last day of Lily Evans’ 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and while she missed her family, she couldn’t quite feel excited about leaving for the summer. Alice just graduated and got accepted into the Auror training program, Mary was heading to Ireland for a month-long Quidditch camp, and Marlene’s family were spending the summer in France with relatives. Lily was going to be stuck at home with parents who loved her but didn’t really understand her life anymore, a sister who absolutely hated her, and Severus Snape who, by this point, was practically stalking her, trying to rekindle the friendship that he had thrown onto the trash heap this time last year.

So it’s hardly surprising that she found herself dragging her feet when the train pulled into King’s Cross. What was more surprising was that when she looked up, she found herself alone in the compartment with James Potter standing in the open doorway, looking more confused by the second. She supposed he’d been speaking to her but she had no idea what he may have said.

James had always been a bit of a thorn in her side but after a blow up at the lake at the end of last year (see aforementioned trash heaping) he’d relaxed around her and at some point this spring she began to consider him a friend. She looked at him now, messy hair standing up all over the place, hazel eyes squinting at her behind his glasses, beautiful mouth slightly parted - she shook her head.

“James!” she said, more brightly than she’d intended. His face broke into a smile. She thought he was relieved at finally being acknowledged. 

“Alright Evans?” he asked. It was his usual greeting for her, but this time she detected a hint of actual concern in the question.

“Yes,” she replied, “just dreading going home, I guess.”

“Oh” he said and she got the feeling that he didn’t understand at all. From what she’d heard about his doting parents, she imagined that he’d never dreaded going home in his life.

“Well, ah” James coughed, “I have something for you.” 

He looked nervous. She squinted her eyes at him. Was this a prank? She held out her hand warily.

“Okay, then” she said and actually leaned away as he placed the item into her hand. It felt like paper. She squeezed her eyes shut, but when it didn’t explode or spew anything at her, she relaxed.

“God, Evans,” said James, laughing at her reaction, “What have I done to you to make you so distrusting - wait, don’t answer that.”

“Anyways,” he continued, seeing Lily stick her finger under the seam of the envelope. “Don’t open it til I’m gone, eh?”

Lily stopped.

“Oh sure,” she said. “Um, why?”

James blushed. She was sure that was a blush rising on his olive cheeks. 

“Oh, it’s just a bit of sentimental drabble” he said, feigning nonchalance, “It’ll come across better if you can’t see my stupid face while you’re reading it.”

Lily was thoroughly confused now. Sentimental Drabble?

“Can I help you with your things?” asked James, not waiting for a response and stepping into the compartment to pull her bag down off the luggage rack. He walked her all the way through the barrier and right up to her parents, waiting nervously near platform 10. 

“Well, alright then Lily,” he said, running a hand nervously though his hair. “I’ll see ya around. Don’t let the muggles get you down.” and with a gruff hug, he was off, back through the barrier, no doubt to find his own family.

Lily waited until she got home and was alone in her room that evening to pull James’ letter out. It was addressed simply, just “lily” written on the front in his neater-than-expected handwriting. He didn’t even capitalize the L.

She didn’t know why her heart fluttered so much at the sight of her name written in his hand. Her hands shook a bit as she opened the letter, wondering what James classified as sentimental drabble, still half nervous that whatever she pulled out was going to spit on her or give her boils or something. No, not boils. The Marauders’ pranks had gotten much more benign and funny even to the ones being pranked this last year. He wouldn’t give her anything that would be unpleasant.

But for the second time, the paper in her hand failed to do anything it shouldn’t and she relaxed again. But only for a moment because then her heart started pounding in her chest in anticipation of what the letter contained.

Turns out it was a card. A hand drawn cheesy valentines card. She wondered where he got it. It had a picture of a pineapple on the front shaded in colored pencil and the words “If you were a fruit, you’d be a  _ fine _ apple” were written in bright three dimensional block letters. As she looked at it, the pineapple grew limbs and a face and did a little dance while the letters around it bounced up and down. It was silly and beautiful magic, just like James. She knew instantly that he’d created it himself.

With great trepidation she opened the letter. 

_ “lily,”  _ it read (again with the lowercase!)

_ “lily. God, I love your name. It feels so good on my tongue. I don’t get to say it nearly as often as I would like. It pains me to call you Evans all the time, but lily is too precious to call you, too dangerous. You’d hear my feelings in an instant if I called you by your first name. -  _ Wait. was this a love letter? Lily could feel the blush burning her cheeks and down her neck. -  _ But would that really be so bad? Because, you see, I love you lily. I think I always have. From the moment you first spoke to me on the train on our way to Hogwarts. I didn’t even know what love was then, hadn’t even really felt attracted to a girl before - not physically. And yet, I loved you then.  _

_ Anyway, I’m rambling, aren’t I? But you’re probably used to that. It’s all I can do in your company. I know you hated me in 5th year but I think we’ve really become friends this year, yeah? And, maybe I’ve been making it all up, but I think you might fancy me too, so I was just wondering if maybe you’d be willing to give me a chance? _

_ James” _

Lily had to read the letter three times to process it. She hadn’t really ever thought James had actually been interested in her back in 5th year. She figured all the public proposals were just for laughs. And she couldn’t deny that as they’d become friends she’d seen what a caring and funny person he really was (it’s amazing how funny a joke can be when you aren’t the butt of it). And she couldn’t deny the attraction she’d felt growing between them all spring. But she hadn’t really hoped - he was such a forward guy, if he’d been interested, he would have done something about it. If he was honest in his letter, if he’d really been serious all those times she turned him down, maybe he had a reason to be more cautious with her. 

Lily made a mad dash to her trunk and threw everything out of it onto the floor in search of parchment and a quill. She dashed off a letter to him, saying that yes, she absolutely fancied him too and she couldn’t wait to see him again. She suggested they meet up on the platform September 1st and talk. She looked up from her frantic writing to realize that she wasn’t back at Hogwarts and didn’t have access to the school owls to send letters as she pleased. She’d have to wait until the morning where maybe she could bribe the Daily Prophet delivery owl to take her letter.

She set her alarm for 5:30 am and the next morning, startled awake, just as an owl swooped in her open window. She was prepared. She dropped an extra couple of knuts into the owl’s money pouch and asked very sweetly if he would mind delivering this letter to James Potter along his way. The owl blinked at her as if it couldn’t deign to understand her request, but after a couple of owl treats Lily dug out from a bag in her trunk, it hooted brusquely and held out a leg for her to tie the letter on next to another newspaper it must have to deliver.

Lily then settled back into bed, falling quickly to sleep with dreams of September 1st making her heart swell.

On the morning of September the 1st, Lily woke with the sun, without ever having really slept all night. She probably had terrible bags under her eyes but she was so excited to be going back to Hogwarts, and to James, that she couldn’t care. She’d spent the summer avoiding Petunia and the plans for her big Christmas wedding and failing to avoid Severus who took it upon himself to accost her every time she stepped out her door. She spent most of the summer locked in her room, waiting for her friends to send her letters so she could respond. 

The one time she attempted to venture out the first week back, Severus popped out of the bushes as she walked down her street, his owl on his shoulder. He’d offered to let her borrow the owl if she wanted to write any letters to her friends. Suggested they sit together in the park while she wrote a letter to Mary. She hadn’t dared step outside for a week after.

She never heard back from James and that bothered her a little, but she hadn’t asked him to respond, just to meet her on the platform, so she tried not to worry about it too much.

She took extra care in her appearance that morning, sneaking into Petunia’s makeup stash to find something to hide the circles under her eyes and donning a pair of bell bottoms with a tight top that didn’t quite reach the waistband. She tried not to imagine the effect on James it would have, and if anyone accused her of trying to tempt him to lay his hands on her, she’d deny it fiercely. But the truth was, she was lost in a fantasy of kissing him by the train, his hands hungrily exploring the exposed skin at her waist. 

She shook herself clear of the fantasy as she said goodbye to her parents (and Petunia who had come only for the excuse to do some wedding shopping in London) and steeled herself to go through the barrier. 

She burst through the barrier with more excitement than she could conceal, and was promptly deflated right into the ground. Because there, amidst the billowing smoke of the steam engine and excited chatter of students running in all directions, was James Potter. With his arms locked around the waist of Gwenog Jones, snogging her senseless, her hands buried in his open school robes. 

Lily felt as if she might literally melt into the ground. Before she could quite decide what to do next, she was wrapped into a hug from behind and met with two loud squeals. Mary and Marlene tackled her in a bear hug and, when they didn’t get a response they followed her gaze to James, still snogging Gwenog as if his life depended on it. When Lily met their eyes it was with a cold and determined look.

“I knew he never really cared.” she said, her tone icy. “He just wanted me to say yes. It was all a game. He didn’t even want to go on the actual date. He probably paraded my letter around to all his friends, had his fun, and now he’s forgotten all about me.” There was no hesitation, no question in her tone. 

“Let’s get a compartment” said Mary gingerly, wrapping an arm around Lily’s shoulder, “as far from the Marauders as possible.”

Marlene went out of her way to bump into James and Gwenog, hard enough to knock them off their balance as the girls passed them.   
  


“Oi, McKinnon!” called James, but the rest of his outrage died on his lips as he felt the icy blast emanating off of Lily when she turned back to look at him. 

Once the train started moving, Lily pulled on her school robes, complete with a Head Girl badge.

“Well, I’m off to meet the prefects. Wish me luck!” she said, “Say a prayer the head boy is Remus!” and exited the compartment with a feigned cheeriness in her step.

Marlene looked at Mary, wide eyed.

“Did you see- the badge-” she started

“Yes” said Mary, her eyes even wider, if possible.

“Potter!” said Lily sharply upon entering the prefects compartment and finding James standing with his back to her looking over the papers on the table. 

“What are you doing here?” she spat.

James turned around, a look of misery evident on his face. 

“Hi Evans” he said, running a hand through his hair.

“Oh stop that” Lily snapped, crossing the compartment and snatching his hand out of his hair and throwing it away from her. She’d been longing to lay her hands on him all summer, but somewhere around the platform the desire turned a little more violent. It was all she could do not to slap him. 

“Sorry,” said James, taking a step back from her and bumping into the table. “Erm, I was hoping you wouldn’t be so disappointed” he finished lamely.

Lily caught the glint of metal on his robes and saw the HB next to the Quidditch Captain’s badge and groaned out loud. 

She steadied herself. This was too much.

“I just- I just need a minute.” she said, feeling faint. “I’m just gonna.. Go” and she turned around and walked right into the open arms of Severus Snape walking through the door.

“Lily!” he said, jovially, “What a pleasure!”

“Argh!” Lily screamed as she batted his arms away, ducking out of his hug before storming out of the room.

Lily pushed past the prefects who were all making their way to the compartment, earning a raised eyebrow from Remus and ducked into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and took a moment to compose herself. She wouldn’t give Potter the satisfaction of seeing her hurt. If he didn’t care, she wouldn’t care. He can snog whoever he wants. She can be civil for the sake of their headship, but as far as she was concerned, any friendship between them was dead in the water.

Lily returned to the prefect’s compartment with a composed smile on her face. She and James led a very productive meeting and then Lily walked out, without a glance at James, when it was over.

**James**

James stood in the prefect’s compartment in silence until he and Remus were the only ones left. Remus watched him with apprehension, not sure what to say.

“I don’t get it,” said James quietly, his back to Remus, looking out the window at the rolling hillsides. “I’m the one rejected. Heartbroken. Why does she get to be angry?”

Remus crossed the room and put his hand on James’s shoulder. James turned around and looked at Remus. His whole body was wilted, like a discarded flower.

“Was my declaration of love really that horrible for her to hear?” he asked, the pain cracking his voice.

“I don’t know,” said Remus, “I thought she liked you back. I really did.” 

“Come on,” said James, turning and passing Remus as he headed for the door “Let’s go find Padfoot and Wormtail.”

They checked into every compartment they passed for their friends. Before they found them, they passed an open compartment with Lily, Marlene, and Mary inside. Mary scowled at James when she saw him. She got up and closed the door as they passed.

With that, James resolved never to talk about his feelings for Lily again. Clearly, they weren’t reciprocated nor would they ever be. But they had to work together, and he didn’t think he could live without her smile and her laughter in his life. He had to patch their friendship. Whatever it took.

Two weeks into the school year, things weren’t going well with Lily. She refused to acknowledge James outside of Head duties and even then she was cold but polite. James didn’t get it. Surely, she could have just told him that she’d prefer to remain friends. Why did she have to cut him off so completely? 

James was sharing these thoughts with Remus one night on patrol when they ran into Severus Snape and Regulus Black, coming down from the owlery.

“What are you doing here?” growled James, ready for a fight.

“Just sending a parcel,” sneered Snape, “none of your business.” 

He made to push past James but James grabbed the front of his robes and drew his wand.

“Forgetting your place, Snivellous?” he asked, menacingly, “I’m Head Boy. You’re out past curfew.”

“I can see,” Snape replied, narrowing his eyes, “going on about Evans as usual, must’ve hurt when she just ignored your silly charmed card, huh?”

James dropped Snape’s robes and took a step back.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, glancing at Remus. James hadn’t even shown the marauders the card he made for Lily.

“You wrote her all those pretty words.” said Snape, leering at James. “I bet you expected her to write that she felt exactly the same way and couldn’t wait to run into your arms on September 1st, didn’t you? Bet it hurt when she didn’t even deign to respond.”

James’s eyes widened. What did Snape know? He was always butting his head where it didn’t belong. But there was a truth in his words tonight that cut James deep. It took all the fight out of him.

“10 points from Slytherin.” he barked, “Get back to bed, the both of you!” 

Snape turned on his heel and walked down the owlery stairs, his school robes billowing behind him in the night wind. Regulus hesitated, looking wide-eyed from James to Remus, before rushing after Snape.

“Sorry, Potter, Sir,” he said, fleetingly as he passed, “It won’t happen again.”

James was sullen the rest of night. Even Sirius, once they’d returned to the common room, couldn’t cheer him. He went to bed as soon as he got back, brushing past Lily as she came down the dormitory stairs without even acknowledging her. What hurt the most, more even than her blatant rejection of his advances, was that she would tell Snape about it. It was one thing for her to think that James wasn’t good enough for her, but James just couldn’t reconcile the fact that she liked Snape more than him. He dreamed all night of Lily and Snape laughing together over James’s card, Snape reading his words out loud to Lily, Lily responding by pulling him in and kissing him. 

The next morning, bleary eyed and restless, James sought Gwenog out at the Ravenclaw table, straddled the bench, and snogged her senseless. He needed to get the image of Lily and Snape out of his head, to feel wanted, to feel worthy. The fifth year chaser gasped and giggled when he broke the kiss. He smirked at her before returning to the Gryffindor table just in time to see Lily practically running out of the hall. 

By the time they’d been back for a month, James couldn’t take it anymore. Things were going great with Gwenog; she was attractive, funny, and athletic. James didn’t know what more he could ask for in a girl. And if he couldn’t have Lily, he supposed he was lucky to be with a girl as cool as Gwenog, even if she’d only ever take second place in his heart. But he couldn’t think like that - he had to get over Lily. He had to get her back, as a friend. She still refused to speak to him outside of head duties and even then he couldn’t get her to crack a smile. 

One night, after a rather disastrous evening of rounds with Lily where she refused to acknowledge his presence until finally suggesting they break up and take different paths back to the common room, James broke down.

He stepped through the portrait hole and saw Marlene and Mary sitting by the fire. The girls had been quite good friends with the marauders last year but Mary and Marlene had clearly taken Lily’s side in this whole debacle and had been avoiding James and glaring at him nearly as much as Lily herself.

James couldn’t take it. He stalked over to the fire and interrupted their conversation.

“What’s wrong with me?” he asked, pain written all over his face.

“Whatever could you mean, Potter?” spat Marlene, glaring at him as if his very existence offended her.

“Why is Lily so mad at me?” he tried again, looking imploringly at Mary.

Mary just scoffed.

“Come on!” said James, both hands pulling at his hair. He was sure he looked like a madman but he didn’t care. He felt like a madman.

“I write her a letter, declaring my love and the next thing I know she hates me!” 

Mary narrowed her eyes at him.

“You’re forgetting the part in the middle” she said, icily.

“What part in the middle?” asked James, “Literally nothing happened between when she blushed and smiled and hugged me goodbye and then looked like she wanted to kill me two months later!” James crumpled to a heap in front of the fireplace, wrapped his arms around his legs and rocked back and forth. “Am I that despicable?” he mumbled into his knees.

Mary and Marlene exchanged shocked looks over his head. 

“Um,” said Marlene, tentatively, “do you really not know what you’ve done?”

When James shook his head into his knees she continued.

“You really don’t see how ignoring her response and then showing up to the platform in the arms of another witch would set her off?” asked Marlene incredulously, “you really thought you could just get her to finally say yes to you and then go back to being friends?”

James looked up at that.

“Finally say yes?” he asked. 

Mary leaned forward and looked him in the eye, examining him. He thought she might be attempting legillimancy on him. 

“Did-” she started hesitantly, as if she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to know the answer, “did you not get Lily’s letter?”

James sat up. He looked rather like a deer in the headlights. His whole body tensed and froze and then slowly, ever so slowly, before any words could even begin to form in his mind, he shook his head.

Mary collapsed back on to the couch. Marlene sat perched on the edge of the chair, wide eyes seeking out Mary’s. Both girls looked like they didn’t know how to respond.

“What letter?” asked James, suddenly full of energy again, his head darting back and forth between the two girls.

Mary and Marlene were locked in a silent conversation. Deciding whether to believe him? Or arguing over who should respond? Finally Marlene slid down into the floor next to him and took his hand in hers.

“Lily responded to your letter right away.” she said, looking intently into his face as she spoke. “She wrote that she felt the same way and asked to meet you on the platform on September 1st.” Marlene hesitated, looking back at Mary who gave her an encouraging nudge with her foot.

“When Lily arrived on the platform, she saw you snogging Gwenog. She thought -” but James put his finger over her lips. He couldn’t hear anymore. He didn’t need to. He knew exactly what she thought. 

“Oh no” he said, eyes wide.

“Yeah,” said Marlene, “oh no.”

“You really didn’t get her letter?” asked Mary, leaning forward again.

“No” said James, rising to his feet. “I really didn’t”

“Where are you going?” asked Mary as he walked off.

“I’ve got to fix this.” said James and he leapt up the stairs, two at a time.

He completely ignored the other marauders when he burst into the room. He ran to Sirius’s trunk, rummaging until he found the marauder’s map and then grabbed his invisibility cloak from his own before dashing out the door again. 

He searched the map as he ran through the common room, looking for her name. Finally, as he stepped through the portrait he found it, in the astronomy tower, probably telling off Benjy Fenwick, who’s name he saw nearby.

He smiled as he ran, not caring if he got caught. Lily loved him. It all made sense now. Her stony demeanor. It meant that she cared about him, cared enough to be hurt to see him with someone else. He could fly without a broom. But then the thought of her hurting brought him right back to earth. Because he had hurt her. He’d never meant to break her heart but he’d done it, and just because it was a miscommunication doesn’t mean that it didn’t hurt her any less. He picked up his speed, jumping the steps to the astronomy tower. He couldn’t let her hurt for any longer now that he knew how to fix it.

He burst through the door of the astronomy tower. He felt the crisp evening air blast against his face but his adrenaline kept him from feeling the effects of his run. But he skidded to a stop, deflated in his glorious entrance. Because now he knew exactly how Lily had felt on the platform. Because now it was Lily, standing there with her arms wrapped around a wizard that wasn’t James, kissing him deeply, and it was some other wizard’s (Benjy Fenwick’s to be exact, James dully noted) hands that were wrapped around her waist, touching her, exploring her.

The adrenaline seeped out of his pores and all at once he felt ragged.

"Lily" he said, hoarse and out of breath. "Lily"

The two jumped apart in surprise. 

"What do you want Potter?" Lily asked coldy. 

James could hear the hurt behind the anger in her voice. Without thinking, he closed the distance between them and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm sorry" he murmured into her hair. "I'm sorry. I never got your letter"

"What?" Asked Lily and she burst into tears. 

"Excuse me" said Fenwick, clearly offended

James looked at him over Lily's head. 

"Whatever this was, it's over now" said James, with more malice than he intended.

"What?" Fenwick asked angrily. 

It was clear he wasn't going to take James's word for anything. Lily pulled herself away from James's chest, tears streaming down her face.

"Just go," Lily said. 

With a glare at James and a final questioning look at Lily, Fenwick left in a huff. 

Once Fenwick was out of sight, James pulled Lily back from his chest, aching with her absence even as he pushed her away. But he had to see her face. He had to tell what happened.

“I never got your letter.” he said again, searching her eyes, desperate for her to understand. 

“You really didn’t?” asked Lily, searching his own face now. 

“I thought you were rejecting me. I only got with Gwenog to try to get over you.” said James.

Lily let out a sob even through her smile and collapsed into his arms again. James hadn’t quite noticed the tears running down his own face until Lily reached out and wiped one away, leaving her hand to rest on his cheek. 

“We’re a right pair of weepers” said James, laughing through his tears. Lily laughed too and leaned in to kiss him. He felt the ghost of her lips on his before he jerked back, fighting every impulse in his body to capture her lips in his own and never let her go.

“I ah, actually haven’t broken up with Gwenog yet.” he said, running a hand through his hair, refusing to meet Lily’s eyes. “I don’t want to do this until everything is perfect.”

A startled look came to Lily’s eyes.

“You do plan on breaking up with her, right?”

“Yes!” yelped James, as if burned. “This very minute if you want me to.” 

He made as if to stand up. Lily put her hand on his arm.

“No!” she cried out, and then quietly said, “don’t leave.”

James sunk onto the astronomy tower floor, pulling Lily down with him. He wrapped his cloak around them both and leaned back against the wall, staring up at the constellations.

Lily snuggled into his chest and sighed. 

“I knew I should have never trusted that post owl.” she said. 

“What-” started James and then interrupted himself, “Actually, what I want to know is why didn’t you confront me about it but shared my card with Snape?” He leaned away from her to look at her face, feeling the anger rise back up in his chest.

“I didn’t tell Snape anything.” said Lily, shocked, “I haven’t talked to him in over a year.”

“You seemed pretty chummy on the train last month.” said James.

Lily looked confused for a moment and then said, “You mean when he snuck up behind me in the prefect’s compartment? Yeah, real chummy.” Her eyes flashed with an all too familiar anger. “He’s been lowkey stalking me since I told him I never wanted to see him again after 5th year.”

James rose to his feet and Lily jumped up as well and faced him, ready for a fight.

“Then how did he know about my card?” asked James, hotly, “I didn’t even show it to the marauders!”

Lily was taken aback by this. She stared over James’s shoulder for a moment, mulling over something in her brain. Her eyes widened and she looked back at James.

“Severus.” she said.

“Yeah?” asked James, his curiosity winning out over an anger he’d been feeling.

“Severus intercepted the letter.” she said, staring at him. “I bribed a Daily Prophet post owl to deliver it. He had one more newspaper rolled up on his leg. As far as I’m aware, Sev is the only wizard that lives anywhere near me. The owl must’ve gone to his house next and Sev took it.” 

Her voice was rising. James’s own anger was returning, it’s target shifted, stronger than before.

“But that’s why Severus brought me his owl later.” Lily continued, “what, did he feel guilty? More likely he wanted to supervise my letter writing and make sure he knew who I was communicating with. He didn’t think I’d send you a letter in front of him. And that explains why he keeps talking about you and Gwenog in potions.”

“And why he taunted me about my  _ silly charmed card _ and  _ pretty words _ when I caught him out after curfew the other night.” James cut in darkly.

Lily’s eyes grew wider.

“That’s proof then.” she said, “Those were my words! In my response I complimented the silly charm on your card and called your words pretty!”

Their eyes met and both flashed. James could have kissed her then. Punched Snape with his bare knuckles, and then kissed Lily Evans. She’d never been more beautiful in that moment. Looking at him with such anger flashing, but not directed at him, no, there was a tenderness there too, something he’d never seen before but was sure was just for him.

She turned away from him towards the railing and let out a blood curdling scream into the night. He took a step forward and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned under his touch and buried her face into his chest, crying again. 

“All that pain,” she murmured, “it’s all his fault.”

“I know” said James, rubbing circles on her back, and wanting very much to kill Snape himself. “But it’s all over now. It’s all fixed.”

She leaned back and looked into his face. James reached up and brushed a tear from her eye. She caught his hand with her lips and kissed his palm. Then she laughed and there was a twinkle in her emerald eyes.

“It’s not quite fixed.” she said, “you’ve still got to break up with Gwenog, right?”

James groaned and pulled a face. He was not looking forward to that. 

“Come on,” he said, pulling Lily to his side and setting off for the stairs, “that’s a problem for tomorrow. Let’s go to bed.”

Lily pressed herself into him as they walked, leaning her head on his shoulder. James didn’t know if he’d ever been so happy.

At least until the next morning.

They didn’t see each other in the common room before breakfast. James rushed out early to meet Gwenog on her way to the great hall and pulled her into an empty classroom when he found her. She smirked at him when he closed the door behind them.

“Awfully randy for a Saturday morning, eh Potter?” she asked, pulling him towards her by his scarf. 

“Actually, Gwen, we need to talk,” he said, disentangling her fingers from his scarf and taking a step away from her. Gwenog deflated visibly. 

“It’s her.” she said, emotionless, looking at James. “She’s come around, hasn’t she?”

“Er, yes.” said James, feeling terrible. Gwenog really was a great girlfriend. 

“Then go” she said, a controlled anger flashing in her eyes, pointing towards the door. He’d seen that look before, on the pitch when the game was going sour. He admired her for it. When he didn’t move, she spoke again.

“I won’t play second James,” she said, shrilly, “I won’t compete with her.”

“Thank you,” said James, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek before darting out the room.

He entered the great hall in time to hear a loud whoop rise up from the Gryffindor table. He looked to the source of the commotion and saw Snape standing at the Slytherin table, what looked to be raw egg running down his head, Lily storming away from him.

James caught her as she passed the doors. He spun her around, grabbed a couple of slices of toast off the nearest table, and pulled her back out into the entrance hall and out the front doors of the castle.

“James!” she gasped as the icy air hit them. She wasn’t wearing a cloak. “What-”

But he cut her off. He stuffed a piece of toast into her mouth as he half dragged her down to the lake. 

“We’ve got business to attend to.” he said, fiercely. 

When they got to the lake front and Lily had swallowed the toast, James turned her to face him and cupped her face in both of his hands. 

“It’s over with Gwenog.” he said quietly, searching her eyes for any sign that last night was just a dream. “And I can’t wait to do this.”

And he kissed her. She gasped against his mouth and then she was kissing him back just as hungrily as he kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and her fingers ran through his hair. He couldn’t pull her close enough. And he never wanted to let her go.


End file.
